Fresno DA: Allegations made against Monsignor Harrison appear credible to investigators
Fresno DA: Allegations made against Monsignor Harrison appear credible to investigators
Fresno DA: Allegations made against Monsignor Harrison appear credible to investigators
ANNOUNCED THEY WILL NOT BEFILING CHARGES AGAINSTMONSIGNOR CRAIG HARRISON FOR ANALLEGED SEXUALMISCONDUCT CASE INVOLVING AMINOR IN FIREBAUGH LASTAPRIL.IT WAS THE LAST INVESTIGATIONPENDING.
NOW THE QUESTION IS..WHAT'S NEXT FOR MONSIGNOR CRAIG?23ABC'S TORI COOPER HAS BEENFOLLOWING THIS CASE FORMORE THAN 10 MONTHS AND SHE HASDETAILS ON WHAT LED TO THISDECISION AND A TIME LINE OF THEINVESTIGATION SPANNING ACROSSTHREE DIFFERENT COUNTIES.SOME MAY SAY THIS IS THE END OFTHE NIGHTMARE FORMONSIGNOR CRAIG HARRISON --NOWTHAT CHARGES WILLNOT BE FILED IN THE LASTOUSTSTANDING CASE.BUT THE DA IS MAKING IT CLEARTHAT THIS DOES NOT EXONERATEMONSIGNOR CRAIG BUT THISDECISION WAS DUE TO THESTATUE OF LIMITATION LAWS.THE FRESNO COUNTY DISTRICTATTORNEY'S OFFICEANNOUNCED FRIDAY NO CRIMINALCHARGES WILL BEFILED AGAINST MONSIGNOR CRAIGHARRISON FOR A CASEINVOLVING AN ALLEGED VICTIM INFIREBAUGH.IN THEIR STATEMENT, FRESNO DAOFFICIALS SAIDHARRISON WAS BEING INVESTIGATEDIN FRESNO COUNTYAFTER A MAN IN APRIL 2019REPORTED TO FIREBAUGHPOLICE THAT HE HAD BEENINAPPROPRIATELY TOUCHED AS ATEENAGER BY HARRISON WHILE HEWAS AT ST.
JOSEPH'SCHURCH.
AT THE TIME, FIREBAUGHPOLICE SAID, WHEN THEIRINVESTIGATION WAS COMPLETED, ITWOULD BE UP TO THE FRESNOCOUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'SOFFICE WHETHER TO FILE CHARGES.PATRIK WALL--AN EXPERT IN COURTLAW AND AN ADVOCATE FORALLEGED VICTIMS-SAYS THE STATUESOF LIMITATIONS AREBASED UPON WHEN THE ALLEGEDCONDUCTOCCURRED."IT DEPENDS WHEN THE PERSON WASABUSED, HOW LONG THE ABUSE WASAND WHAT THE LAW WAS AT THATTIME"AFTER THE INITIAL FIREBAUGHALLEGATION.
HARRISON WASPLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVEBY THE DIOCESE OFFRESNO---SHOCKING HIS SAINTFRANCIS PARISH AND THE CITY OFBAKERSFIELD.SOON AFTER ANOTHER ALLEGEDVICTIM TOLD MERCEDPOLICE THAT HARRISONINAPPROPRIATELY TOUCHED HIM IN1988... AT THE TIME HARRISON WASSERVING AT ST.
PATRICKS ANDSACRED HEART...A THIRD ALLEGED VICTIM CAMEFORWARD CLAIMING ABUSEBY THE MONSIGNOR OCCURRING IN19-98...THEN IN MAY 2019, THEBAKERSFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENTRECEIVED ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUALMISCONDUCT BYHARRISON THAT ALLEGEDLY OCCURREDDURING THEEARLY 1990'S.
HOWEVER, IN JULYTHE DEPARTMENT SAID, AFTER ATHOROUGH INVESTIGATION, THEY DIDNOT IDENTIFY ANYALLEGATIONS OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIORWITH CORROBORATIVEEVIDENCE.A TEARFUL MONSIGNOR CRAIGSPEAKING PUBLICY FOR THEFIRST TIME FOLLOWING BPD'SDECISION.("I WANT TO START OFF BY THANKINGGODFOR GIVING ME STRENGTH DURINGTHIS TIME,"WALL SAYS BISHOP BRENNAN OF THEDICOESE OF FRESNO-- ISOBLIGATED TO REPORT IT TOVATICAN"THEN THE HOLY C MAKES ADECISION TOHOLD THE CASE IN ROME OR SEND ITBACK TO THE DIOCESE OF FRESNO TOBELITIGATED"BUT WALL SAYS IT'S ULTIMATELYBISHOP BRENNAN TO MAKE A FINALDECISION."I BELIEVE THE EVIDENCE ISSOLID, ITIS DEEP AND THE PATTERN ANDPRACTICE OF HIS BEHAVIOR IS WELLESTABLISH"23ABC REACHED OUT TO THE FRESNODIOCESE TO GET THESTATUS ON HARRISON, FOLLOWINGTHE NEWS THATHARRISON WOULD NOT BE CHARGED INFRESNO COUNTY, BUT WEDID NOT HEAR BACK.WE ALSO REACHED OUT TO HISATTORNEY--KYLEHUMPHREY.
AND HE ALSO HAS NOTGOTTEN BACK TO US AS OF NEWSTIME.BUT FOR NOW LIVE IN STUDIO I'MTORI COOPER FOR 23ABCCONNECTING YOU.HARRISON HAS FILED DEFAMATIO
